Typewriter ribbon sheath



April 9, 1957 Y. B. SPIEGEL 2,788,111

TYPEWRITER RIBBON- SHEATH Filed Feb. 21, 1956 /5 Q v ATTORNEY TYPEWRITER RIBBON SHEATH Yetta B. Spiegel, Washington, D. C.

Application February 21, 1956, Serial No. 566,870

12 Claims. (Cl. 197-172) This invention relates to a typewriter ribbon finger protecting sheath and to a method of protecting ones fingers while installing an inked typewriter ribbon either or both on the typewriter ribbon spool and through the ribbon carrier of the typewriter.

This invention aims to provide a means and method for protecting ones fingers against soiling while installing an inked typewriter ribbon both on the typewriter spool and through the typewriter ribbon carrier.

A further object of this invention is to provide a finger protecting sheath for a typewriter ribbon.

A further object of this invention is to provide a typewriter ribbon finger protecting sheath made of inexpensive readily disposable sheet material that is readily separable from the ribbon after the ribbon is installed on the typewriter.

A further object of this invention is to provide a typewriter ribbon finger protecting sheath made of transparent material, such as glassine, transparent plastic, or the like, but which may likewise be made of opaque material such as paper, opaque plastic or the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a readily removable and disposable ribbon finger protecting sheath made by folding a rectangular piece of sheet material to snugly yet slidably embrace a typewriter ribbon.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises the combination, construction, method and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, claimed, and set forth in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan View of a conventional typewriter showing the sheath of this invention still in position on the ribbon extending through the ribbon carrier.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sheath on the ribbon with the typewriter omitted for clarity of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a section through the ribbon and sheath, on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sheath of this invention in finger protection position on a ribbon.

There is shown at a sheath constituting this invention. This sheath 1%) is made of a rectangular piece of readily disposable sheet material, preferably transparent, such as glassine, thin transparent plastic, or the like, but which may also be made of opaque material such as paper, very thin cardboard, opaque plastic or other inexpensive material that may be used once and thrown away. The rectangular piece of sheet material is formed into the sheath of this invention by being folded with its long edges 11 and 12 in overlapping relation on one side of the ribbon 13, the overlapped portions 14 and 15 being installed preferably on the side facing the operator as shown in Fig. 4, while the intermediate portion 16 faces away from the operator. The width of the intermediate portion 16 is substantially equal to or barely larger than the width of the ribbon 13, portion 14 being very slightly narrower than the ribbon 13, while the nited States Patent ice outer overlapping portion 15 is preferably less than half the width of the ribbon.

The length of the sheath It thus provided is sufficiently great so that when it is in position on the ribbon carrier 17, it extends towards the ribbon spools 18 and 2b a distance great enough to make it possible to place ones fingers on both sides of the carrier to manipulate the ribbon and protecting sheath into position on the carrier without ones fingers contacting the inked ribbon.

The overlapping portions 14 and 15 slidably yet snugly embrace the ribbon 13, so as to permit the sheath It) to be slid along the ribbon 13, and the material is strong enough to hold its shape while being manipulated, yet flexible enough to permit ready manipulation, and also may be readily penetrated or torn so as to be operated to anchor the end of a replacement ribbon on the empty spool anchor pin.

In operation, the sheath 10 may be installed by the ribbon manufacturer adjacent to or at the free end 21 of the ribbon 13 on the spool 20, with the sheath 10 embracing the free end 21 of the ribbon 13. The free end 21 of the ribbon is installed in the usual manner on the spool anchor pin 22 by pressing the ribbon free end 21, over the pin 22 to cause the pin 22 to penetrate the ribbon free end 21 in the conventional manner, simultaneously penetrating the end or" the sheath 1th, but protecting the fingers while so manipulating the. ribbon end 21.

Then the sheath 10 is slid away from the spool 18, incidentally tearing the sheath end 23 as shown at 24, but this tear as is so inconsequential that it does not affect the next step. The spool 18 is then installed on the typewriter as usual, and the sheath is slid to a position between the spools 18 and 20, centering it at the ribbon carrier 17. Then the ribbon 13 is manipulated into position on the ribbon carrier 17 by handling the sheath 10 then embracing the ribbon portion being installed in the carrier 17, the sheath 10 and embraced ribbon 13 being handled and manipulated into the carrier in the same manner that the ribbon would be installed were the sheath not present. However, while so manipulating the sheath and ribbon, the sheath It) protects the manipulating fingers against being soiled by the ink on the ribbon. Also, when the sheath is transparent, the ribbon is readily seen to be in proper position therewithin. On completion of the installation, the sheath 10 is readily removed, by tearing it necessary, from the ribbon and is then discarded, the material of the sheath 10 being so inexpensive that it is cheaper to discard it than to attempt to reuse it.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

l. The combination with an inked typewriter ribbon, of a device for protecting ones fingers when installing said ribbon on a typewriter, said device comprising a sheath of inexpensive, readily disposable sheet material folded in overlapping relation to itself about a portion of the inked ribbon, said sheath being folded to snugly yet slidably embrace the ribbon, said sheath being of a length to extend somewhat to both sides of the ribbon guide of the typewriter.

2. The combination with an inked typewriter ribbon, of a device for protecting ones fingers when installing said ribbon on a typewriter, said device comprising a sheath of inexpensive, readily disposable sheet material folded in overlapping relation to itself about a portion of the inked ribbon, said sheath being folded to snugly yet slidably embrace the ribbon, said sheath being of a length to extend somewhat to both sides of the ribbon guide of the typewriter, said sheath comprising apiece of glassine sheet material.

3. The combination with an inked typewriter ribbon, of a device for protecting ones fingers when installing said ribbon on a typewriter, said device comprising a sheath of inexpensive, readily disposable sheet material folded in overlapping relation to itself about a portion of the inked ribbon, said sheath being folded to snugly yet slidably embrace the ribbon, said sheath being of a length to extend somewhat to both sides of the ribbon guide of the typewriter, said sheath extending about the free end of the ribbon for manipulating the inked ribbon end in attaching the ribbon end to the spool ribbon attaching pin, the anchor pin penetrating the end of both said sheath and said ribbon.

4. The combination with an inked typewriter ribbon, of a device for protecting ones fingers when installing said ribbon on a typewriter, said device comprising a sheath of inexpensive, readily disposable, penetratable sheet material folded in overlapping relation to itself about a portion of the inked ribbon, said sheath being folded to snugly yet slidably embrace the ribbon, said sheath being of a length to extend somewhat to both sides of the ribbon guide of the typewriter, said sheath comprising a piece of glassine sheet material, said sheath being slidable to one end of the ribbon for manipulating the inked ribbon end in attaching the ribbon end to the spool ribbon attaching pin.

5. The combination with an inked typewriter ribbon, of a device for protecting ones fingers when installing said ribbon on a typewriter, said device comprising a substantially rectangular portion of inexpensive sheet material, the width of said sheet material being greater than twice the width of the typewriter ribbon about which it is to be used, said sheet material being folded about itself across its width with its long edges in overlapping relation to provide a sheath to snugly yet slidably embrace the ribbon, one of the overlapping portions being of a width greater than one-half the width of the ribbon, the other of said overlapping portions being of a width to at least overlap said first mentioned portion, said sheath being of a length to extend through a typewriter ribbon carrier and on both sides thereof a sufficient distance for manual manipulation by ones fingers without ones fingers contacting the ribbon.

6. The combination with an inked typewriter ribbon, of a device for protecting ones fingers when installing said ribbon on a typewriter, said device comprising a substantially rectangular portion of inexpensive, readily disposable sheet material, the width of said sheet material being greater, than twice but not greater than thrice the width of the typewriter ribbon about which it is to be used, said sheet material being folded about itself across its width with its long edges in overlapping relation to provide a sheath to snugly yet slidably embrace the ribbon, one of the overlapping portions being of a width greater than one-half the width of the ribbon, the other of said overlapping portions being of a width less than the width of said first-mentioned portion, said sheath being of a length to extend through a typewriter ribbon carrier and on both sides thereof a sufficient distance for,

manual manipulation by ones fingers without ones fingers contacting the ribbon.

7. The combination with an inked typewriter ribbon, of a device for protecting ones fingers when installing said ribbon on a typewriter, said device comprising a substantially rectangular portion of inexpensive, readily disposable sheet material, the width of said sheet material being greater than twice but not greater than thrice the width of the typewriter ribbon about which it is to be used, said sheet material being folded about itself across its width with its long edges in overlapping relation to provide a sheath to snugly yet slidably embrace the ribbon, one of the overlapping portions being of a width greater than one-half the width of the ribbon, the other of said overlapping portions being of a width to at least overlap said first-mentioned portion, said sheath being of a length to extend through a typewriter ribbon carrier and on both sides thereof a sufficient distance for manual manipulation by ones fingers without ones fingers contacting the ribbon, said sheath material being sufficiently tearable to have one end thereof adjacent the end of the ribbon be penetrated by the ribbon securing anchor pin on the ribbon spool when securing such ribbon end to the spool and to be then slid away therefrom along the ribbon to center at the ribbon carrier for manually installing the ribbon in the carrier, the sheath being then readily separable from the ribbon.

8. The combination with an inked typewriter ribbon, of a device for protecting ones fingers when installing said ribbon on a typewriter, said device comprising a substantially rectangular portion of inexpensive, readily disposable sheet material such as paper, glassine, plastic or the like, the width of said sheet material being greater than twice but not greater than thrice the width of the typewriter ribbon with which it is to be used, said sheet: material being folded about itself across its width with its long edges in overlapping relation to provide a sheath to snugly yet slidably embrace the ribbon, one of the overlapping portions being of a width greater than onehalf the width of the ribbon, the other of said overlapping portions being of a width less than the width of said firstmentioned portion and having its long edge on the outer side of said first-mentioned portion away from the rib bon, said sheath being of a length to extend through a typewriter ribbon carrier and on both sides thereof a sulficient distance for manual manipulation by ones fingers without ones fingers contacting the ribbon, said sheath material being sufficiently tearable to have one end thereof be slid to adjacent the end of the ribbon and to be penetrated by the ribbon securing anchor pin on the ribbon spool when securing such ribbon end to the spool and to be then slid away therefrom along the ribbon to center at the ribbon carrier for manually installing the ribbon in the carrier, the sheath being then readily separable from the ribbon.

9. The method of protecting ones fingers against soiling while installing an inked ribbon on a typewriter com prising providing a ribbon embracing sheath of readily disposable material and slidably locating the sheath adjacent the ribbon end to protect ones fingers while securing the ribbon end to the typewriter spool securing anchor pin.

10. The method of protecting ones fingers against soiling while installing an inked ribbon on a typewriter comprising slidably locating on the inked ribbon a ribbon embracing sheath of readily disposable material of sutficient length to extend beyond both sides of the typewriter ribbon carrier a distance at least that necessary for manual manipulation when installing the ribbon in the ribbon carrier, manipulating the sheath and embraced portion of the ribbon into position through the ribbon carrier, and thereafter removing the sheath from the ribbon.

11. The method of protecting ones fingers against soiling while installing an inked ribbon on a typewriter comprising providing ribbon embracing sheath of readily disposable material of sufficient length to extend beyond both sides of the typewriter ribbon carrier a distance at least that necessary for manual manipulation when installing the ribbon in the ribbon carrier, locating the sheath adjacent the ribbon end to protect ones fingers while securing the ribbon end to the typewriter spool securing anchor pin, then sliding the sheath to center at the ribbon carrier and manipulating the sheath and embraced portion of the ribbon into position through the ribbon carrier, and then removing the sheath from the ribbon.

12. The method of protecting ones fingers against soiling While installing an inked ribbon on a typewriter comprising providing a ribbon embracing sheath of readi- 1y disposable material of sufficient length to extend beyond both sides of the typewriter ribbon carrier a distance at least that necessary for manual manipulation when installing the ribbon in the ribbon carrier, locating the sheath adjacent the ribbon end to protect ones fingers while securing the ribbon end to the typewriter spool securing anchor pin, then tearing the sheath end free from the pin and sliding the sheath to center at the ribbon carrier and manipulating the sheath and embraced portion of the ribbon into position through the ribbon carrier, and then removing the sheath from the ribbon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

